Chartwells partners with several universities and industry groups to advance research on school dining and to stay on top of emerging school dining trends.

Most recently, Chartwells partnered with the
Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (B.E.N. Center) to study the impacts of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and how principles from the nationwide Smarter Lunchrooms initiative can help students embrace nutritious foods.

Through our partnership with Duke University Fuqua School of Business, we conduct research studies on topics such as breakfast and fruit and vegetable consumption. Recent findings show that positive reinforcement, combined with parental involvement at home, increases fruit and vegetable consumption by students in schools.

Chartwells has also developed a
Child Nutrition Advisory Council that brings together a distinguished group of industry leaders in thefieldsofnutrition, physical activity, pediatricmedicine, sustainable agriculture, dietetics, non-profitfoundations andacademia.Thiscouncil assists our wellnessteam in designingunique,innovativeprogramsthatpromote our schooldistricts as nutrition leaders.The knowledge and expertise of each member of the council helps us strengthen ourscientific credibility, objectively evaluate our existingprograms, and developfuture initiatives.